Crossing the border with Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian.

Stairs being dealt; Snider promoted

ST. PETERSBURG — The Blue Jays have designated Matt Stairs for assignment and are working out a trade that could potentially send the veteran to a contending club. Replacing Stairs on Toronto’s roster is top prospect, outfielder Travis Snider.

The Blue Jays would not reveal which team was attempting to acquire Stairs — only that the deal will hopefully be completed within the next two days. This season, the 40-year-old Stairs hit .250 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs in 105 games for Toronto.

Last year, Stairs hit .289 with 21 homers and 64 RBIs over 125 games for the Jays, who inked him to a two-year contract extension worth $3.25 million in November. Stairs is under contract for $2.25 million this year and is scheduled to make $1 million in 2009.

Snider, 20, had his contract purchased from Triple-A Syracuse after hitting .344 with two homers and 17 RBIs through 18 games with the Chiefs. Between stints with Class A Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Syracuse this year, the left-handed-hitting outfielder hit .275 with 23 homers and 91 RBIs over 133 games.

The Blue Jays selected Snider with the 14th overall pick in the 2006 June First-Year Player Draft. Toronto manager Cito Gaston said that Snider will rotate between left and right field and will receive some playing time as the club’s designated hitter. Snider is also scheduled to take part in the Arizona Fall League in October.

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27 Comments

Can’t say I saw this coming but I really like the move. Stairs is a good hitter near the end of his career, and a move to a contender for a chance at a ring would be awesome for him. I really really want to see Snider play!!! This guy is going to not only be good, but special. Good comes along often, special doesn’t. I know he will hit, maybe not right away seeing as he is only 20! But I’m curious to see him in the field.

Maybe my prediction of Snider being our DH next year isn’t that far fetched.

rmatty
I agree with you-good luck to Matt Stairs, I hope he gets a ring. What I’d like to see us do is not have a designated DL, but rotate one of the outfielders through the spot. Inglet always gives us that “extra outfielder” if there’s a game injury.

A good deal from JP, takes over 1 mill. off the payroll, opens a spot for Snider, who, regardless of age belongs here. Anything, we get in return (hopefully a prospect or two) is a bonus.

I agreee, With an outfield of Wells, Rios and a platoon of sorts with Lind and Snider splitting DH/LF I think would be a nice way to set up a lineup. Gives the young guys plenty of time in the field and keeps them from burning out. You can always throw Wells and Rios through the DH spot now and then as well. I like Inglett, he is proving to be quite a flexible and valuable player for us as has Scutaro. Where would the Jays be without these two guys?

Two power hitting lefties with high ceilings that are 24 and 20 years old. Gives hope for next year doesn’t it.

Put 22 yr old J.P Arrencibia on that list, although he’s a right handed bat, he could have the highest ceiling of all of them. All he’s done this year is hit .298ba/.321 OBP/.530slg with 35 doubles, 27 hr’s and 102 rbi’s, in 123 games. It will be a interesting friendly competition between the 3 of them. Hopefully, Arrencibia is called up September 1.

The other guy who’s had a great year is 24 yr old 1st baseman Brian Dopriak, who’s hit .308ba/.317OBP/.559slg, with 31 doubles, 29 hr’s and 100rbi’s in 125 games.

Bosox
We have an abundance of pitchers, and did have an over abundance of good catching prospects until we traded Diaz. Both JP Arrencibia and Johnathon Jaspe are high ceiling catching prospects and Jerolman might be another catcher trade chip-time will tell.

We’re extremely weak at ss and power 3rd base prospects. I would hope that changes with some ofthe trades we hopefully do in the next 2-3 days. Dopriak could be our power at 1st. My concern with him is his minor league career has been a bit up and down, so we’ll see what happens next year when he’s moved to AAA.

rmatty
I’m assuming you’re meaning Fuenmayor with FA. He is starting to show some potential, unfortunately he’s likely 3 yrs away, and has shown limited power. Ahrens, has not showed the potential yet-he’s only hitting .252ba/.319obp/.357slg with 4 hr’s and 31 rbi’s in 118 games in A-Lansing.

My hope is we garner more prospects at ss and 3rd base in the next couple of days.

Good move for the Jays and Stairs. I’m sure Matt would’ve liked to finish his career off in a Jays’ uniform, but there’s just no room for him next year. Question is, will there be room for Snider next year, or will he end up in AAA for one more year (or 1/2 year). I’m really looking forward to seeing him play.

Personally, I think the Jays sign a DH/outfielder and Snider starts out in AAA next year. You never know though. Overbay could be moved in the offseason, making room for a guy like Snider.

I’d love to see Arencibia and Barajas battle it out for playing time next year. I think it’s unlikely though, given the fact that he’s in AA right now. I don’t understand why Jeroloman is in AAA, with Arencibia in AA. Age maybe?

I agree that it’d be wise to start building the farm on the left side of the infield.

I would like to see J.Mac at short next year,as for Overbay he gave us a great year in 06 maybe he can repeat in 09,if Snider impresses this Sept. just maybe he can come up next year and play as the DH and spell of Lind and Rios once in a while,Rios can give Wells a break this way and we will not only have a solid outfield but four good bats at DH,Rolen may be the only problem it all depends on his shoulder and/or if the Jays want to take a chance on him next year,It would probably be a good idea to keep Barajas next year and bring up Arencibia like Rene has stated and see how it works out.Hopfully Hill will be able to continue his career it would be a shame if he was done,I had a friend who had the same problem and never was ouite the same but I hope hill dosn’t follow along the same path.

Let us wish Stairs good luck and hope he winds up with a ring he gave us a great year last year and I’m sure we all love him EHH

I hope Eskstein gets traded to a contender to and if he does good luck to him.

rene
I’m not sure it makes any sense for the Jays to sign an outfielder/DH and keep Snider in AAA, next year. I expect he’ll hit well enough here, that, in order to replace his output with a dedicated dh would cost 7-10 mill per year. I’d rather see that money spent somewhere else.
Moving Overbay has nothing to do with Snider. We need 4 outfielders. Lind, Snider as lefties and Rios/Wells as righties. Each day rotate one as the dh, it doesn’t get much better than that.
I agree, Arencibia should have been bumped to AAA instead of Jeroloman. I think it’s Jp’s infatuation with OBP. Personally I’ll take the power and hitting with risp from Arencibia over Jeroloman’s higher OBP any day.

I don’t know, I like this move too, but I sense a trade of either Lind or Snider in the off season or some time next year. Unless they are planning on having Wells, Rios, and Lind as everyday players, and Snider as a backup.

I am truly broken hearted about this… I love the Jays, but I’m a big Stairs fan. I always have hope and faith that he’s going to get better and better… maybe that’s wishful thinking but this is just killing me! I live outside of Philadelphia, so now I’ll be going to more than just interleague games to see my favourite player of all time. I never thought that Matt was given the credit that he deserves, and people are quick to put him down… they don’t have a clue as to the things he’s done, and never bother to look at his career stats. Someday this man will be in the hall of fame, and if he isn’t, then something is wrong.

I’ll just have to wear my Jays Stairs jersey to the games in Philly and think about selling my Jays/O’s series tickets now so I can buy some Phillies home tickets with that money. My dream series is Phillies/Jays, just like back in 93, when I didn’t care who won, because they were my two favourite teams.

I hope Philadelphia fans will appreciate Stairsy the way he deserves to be appreciated. I’m going to put a Maple Leaf on my Phillies hat now.

ny.jaysfan.Most of us think Stairs was and still is a great player.he will make it into the Canadian hall of fame the first time he is eligible I’m sure.I hope the Phillies make it this year or the Cubs[Stairs or Johnson] it would be great.

dont forget that Jeroloman was drafted in 06, and has been in the minor league system for a year longer then Arencibia. i agree that arencibia has a much higher ceiling then jeroloman, but from what ive heard jeroloman is also further ahead defensivly, whereas arencibia is just average with a plus arm.

correct me if im worng, but thats probably the reason that jeroloman is ahead at the moment. having a year more of time in the system, and where they are defensivly.

i think without a doubt, by next spring arencibia will have passed jeroloman on the depth chart, but still thats two very good catching prospects in the high levels of the minors.

Go STAIRS! No matter what anyone else thinks, I think he’s one of the best! Hey, we all have our favs I guess.

One of my prized possessions is my 1991 Harrisburg Senator Matt Stairs card that he autographed for me just this year… and my 8×10 photo of him (also autographed) in his Team Canada uniform… and the autographed Starting Line Up figure, in his A’s uniform.

I sure do hope the Phillies go all the way and don’t choke like most of the Philly teams do… I’ve seen that happen time and time again.

canadian,
true. that’s what I thought, Jeroloman had been in the system longer and had more time to progress. Then again, I haven’t seen any of them play in person. I heard Jeroloman’s defense is much better, and it’s an important defensive position. We’ll see how they progress, I guess. One thing is for sure though, the Jays can use as many good bats as they can.

As for Snider, we’ll catch a glimpse of whether or not he’s as good an option as an offseason DH. Hey, they’ve gotta use up that extra 30 mil somehow lol

rene
I’m not sure where you heard Jeroloman is a better on defense that Arrencibia, because it isn’t true, or at least isn’t backed up by the facts.
Fact is they’re both great on defense, but Arrencibia has a better percentage of thrown out runners. Arrencibia is also known to be a tremendous athlete.
And why do you think there’s 30 million available?

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